The invention relates generally to tenderization of meat suitable for human consumption and more particularly concerns a method and apparatus for applying an electrical stimulation to an animal carcass. The invention will be disclosed by way of example in connection with a method and apparatus for applying a critically timed electrical pulse to a beef carcass.
Electrical stimulation is one of a variety of methods which have been used in the prior art to tenderize meat products. Most generally the prior art devices have applied an electrical charge to an animal carcass through a probe which was manually manipulated to contact the carcass as it passed on a rail mounted trolley. An example of such a probe and of the conventional method of applying an electrical stimulus to an animal carcass is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,544,861 to Harshan et al wherein electrodes on opposite sides of the carcass are sunk in each of the four legs and the neck of a carcass. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 2,544,724 discloses probes which are embedded in the carcass as it is passed over a trolley.
Insertion of a probe into an animal carcass generally requires a worker for placement of the probe and this worker is required to maintain contact as the carcass contorts under the impetus of the electrical energy. When the probe is inserted manually, care must also be taken to insure that the carcass does not jerk into the worker causing injury.
The disadvantages of having a worker manually insert or embed a probe into an animal carcass are obvious in a production environment. In addition to the labor cost necessitated by the required human operator, it was necessary to maintain a production line at a rate which was limited by the efficient working capabilities of the human operator. Further, when the carcass was to be used for human consumption it was necessary for the worker to sterilize each of the probes as they were pulled from one carcass and before they were inserted into the succeeding one in order to prevent any possible cross contamination of the meat. This added requirement put even further time restraints on the production line.
Applicant has discovered a new and novel method and apparatus for applying an electrical charge to an animal carcass in a production environment. This method and apparatus provides for automatic electrical stimulation of an animal carcass without any necessary intervention of a human operator. The invention also provides for sterilization of all components of the apparatus which come into contact with a particular carcass prior to subsequent contact with another carcass. Further, the invention provides for a series of electrical impulses of predetermined duration with an intervening series of relaxation periods.
Accordingly, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for applying an electrical stimulus to an animal carcass which is suitable for high volume production.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for applying an electrical stimulation to an animal carcass which prevents any possible cross contamination between carcasses.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for applying a plurality of successive electrical impulses to an animal carcass separated by predetermined periods for relaxation.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for applying an electrical stimulation to an animal carcass in which each element which comes into contact with an animal carcass is sterilized before contacting a successive carcass.